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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. ball — a dance
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. snap — to click
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cue — for pool
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. race — a contest
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cue — a hint
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. race — the arms race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com